Facing threats he did not yield an inch - truly, 'even a common man cannot be stripped of his will.'
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From 《论语·子罕》 (Analects, Zihan): 三军可夺帅也，匹夫不可夺志也 (A great army can be stripped of its general, but a common man cannot be stripped of his will). Confucius elevates personal conviction above military might - the smallest person's resolve is less takeable than a whole army's command.
usage
Always paired with its opening half 三军可夺帅也 for full rhetorical effect. 匹夫 here is not derogatory - it means 'an ordinary individual,' everyman. 夺 = to forcibly take away. 也 is a classical sentence-final particle.
